re: #265 Occasional Reader

I actually feel offended when they refer to the 9/11 hijackers using the term “kamikaze”. The real Kamikaze pilots fought for the wrong side, but with honor, against military targets that could shoot back.

I the Japanese Bushido code the Kamikaze was an acceptable practice. We in our culture find it horrific. But it’s important to understand, even we don’t accept it, the cultural context of the kamikaze.

I’m not making a moral equivalence argument, just have the ability to intellectually put the practice in a cultural context, to understand how such practices come about.

I’m not drawing parallels between the two.

But we also need to understand, but not accept the cultural context of the Pali Homicide Bomber. Between the belief in the glory of martyrdom, and the fatalism of “Inshallah” makes such things culturally acceptable, even encouraged to the Palis. When understand these roots, comes the realization of the difficulties in dealing with the problem. That “talking” won’t overcome that cultural acceptance. The only thing in the short term that will work is to make suicide bombings, tactically, strategically, economically extremely costly, and force the Palis to re-evaluate the cost benefit of the practice until such a time as the culture makes the changes away from acceptance of idea.